123 replies to this topic

[G-Man]

Rumour has it that the city has given notice to the Lawnbowling club on Belleville that they have one year to leave!

Also going apparently is the scooter shack.

Now I am happy to see the scooter shack go as it aligns with the plans to expand the conference centre and build the over street walkway but the lawn bowling green should be off limits. It is truly a piece unique to Victoria. I mean how many cities have a lawn bowling clubs right downtown.

I thought it was going to be even cooler with the Aria as the backdrop to it.

I think getting rid of it will be one of the biggest mistakes the city could make. Especially when just to the North of the scooter shack are two rental car lots also owned by the city and are truly eyesores.

[Baro]

We have so many badly implemented useless green spaces/open spaces in the city but this lawn bowling green always seems full of people (well not in the winter) having fun and actually utilizing the space. I really hope the city doesn't develop this, or work yet think this land would be better utilized as some park or plaza as part of the conference expansion. I really wouldn't see the utility in such utilization.

[Mike K.]

I think out of all the times I've been near the field I've only seen it utilized a couple times. And I'm down in that general area quite regularly.

[Baro]

I always remember it crawling with old people dressed in adorable little white outfits

[aastra]

Of all the things to evict...

So what are we so fired up about putting there in its place? Another condo block? The folks in Aria would scream bloody murder.

Sometimes I feel like the city is run by lunatics. They're cool on the art gallery concept but they're keen to ditch the lawn bowling? So is open space/green space not important now after all? Or maybe the problem is that the lawn bowling turf is an attractive and useful open space/green space?

If they suggest yet another useless public square of some sort, I think I might just go bananas. A fine little park? Okay, I think I can deal with that, if it somehow ties in with (and includes the sprucing up of) the existing little park.

[Mike K.]

I doubt they want to turn the land over for development, though. Seems to me like City Hall has been approached by individuals interested in opening up the space to the public and not keeping it as a fenced off lawn that a very few can ever legally use.

Btw, there's a lawn bowling field a kilometer away in Beacon Hill Park.

[aastra]

Are you confirming my "yet another useless public square of some sort" theory?

[Caramia]

Bah! I like the lawn bowling area, it is one place where older citizens can come out and play, and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy. I enjoy it and that is without being allowed there, just as a spectator. Not EVERYTHING needs to be new and tall and shiney.

So yeah..

[aastra]

It's a quirky oddity, an immaculate little pitch in the heart of town. Yeah, we know it isn't going to be there forever, but what's the rush to get rid of it? There are 100 other sites that require attention ahead of that one.

[Mike K.]

Are you confirming my "yet another useless public square of some sort" theory?

God, I hope not.

There was mention of a "boutique" hotel being eyed for that property several years back, wasn't there? I seem to recall we discussed that at length over on SSP.

[VicHockeyFan]

Well, anything that is only $1 lease (lawn bowling) has to be eyed. I happen to know the scooter shack guys, and I think it has to go too, business is business.

I'm not even sure what I'm getting at with this post.

[G-Man]

TC has confirmed this morning that indeed we will be replacing the Lawn Bowling Green with an additional useless open space. I can think of about 200 items that would be better than what is planned for here.

Story here

Here are a couple:

An actual useful addition to the conference centre

A new bus terminal

A new Art Gallery

A public market

A new Maritime museum

An arts market

A performing arts venue

Not a library (The library must go in Centennial Square to save that terrible open space)

A downtown satellite university campus

hotel plus any combination of above.

condos plus any combination of above

The article notes that one of the reasons is the use of Cridge Park by homeless. Well are you suggesting that the answer to fixing open space is yet more open space???? That is insane?

Also this area has more than enough open space already. Here is a list of open space within a five minute walk of this location:

The legislature

The Causeway

The Empress Rose Garden

The new plaza in front of the Astoria

Thunderbird Park

St. Ann's

Beacon Hill Park

If ever there was an area that does not need any more open space it is here. I emplore all who read this to write city council and let them know what you think about this proposal and try and stop it before it gets out of hand!

Write here

[amor de cosmos]

Argh you beat me to it! If only I'd gotten up 1/2 hr earlier. & yes it's another useless space. Why not an "urban plaza" & a shiny new building? Maybe because of Crystal Garden right next door?

[aastra]

Expansion plans aren't finalized, but Lowe envisions the area as more of a hard-surfaced urban plaza than a green park.

Honestly, this is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. That settles it, the people in charge simply have no clue whatsoever. There's a HUGE hard-surfaced open space right there at the base of Astoria/Belvedere. Is it so jammed with people that we need yet another space on the very next block?

[aastra]

If players liked the area, tourists liked the bowlers, frequently stopping to photograph the unexpected activity in the middle of the city.

Makes me wonder if anybody will ever stop to photograph the activity in this new open space.

[aastra]

Sorry for my vitriol, but introducing useless open space is urban planning error #1. It's been urban planning error #1 for forty years at least. It just breaks my heart and blows my mind that Victorians are so unaware and so clumsy and so stubborn about such matters.

[aastra]

Are they planning to have shops in this square? Why on earth would anyone linger in it if there's nothing to do?

The article notes that one of the reasons is the use of Cridge Park by homeless. Well are you suggesting that the answer to fixing open space is yet more open space???? That is insane.

I guess they figured the street problems weren't in-your-face enough in south downtown. A new hard-surfaced public space is just the ticket.

[aastra]

A narrow public space flanked by buildings on either side might actually work on this particular site, but you just know that isn't what they have in mind.

[Number Six]

I'm also not happy about this and plan to write the city. I'm all for burying cars in underground parkades but why couldn't they replace the turf after it was built? Another generic urban park is all we need.

I love the juxtaposition of the bowling green against the mixture of old and new architecture. I've always thought the Hong Kong Jockey Club is one of the most interesting examples of this (photo here). Obviously our bowling green is on a tad smaller scale but the effect is similar.

[aastra]

Number Six, you don't get it. You appreciate the things that make Victoria unique. You want Victoria to remain unique.

The people in charge, on the other hand, want Victoria to look exactly like every other lame burg from the suburbs of the lower mainland right through to Ontario.